Thread: New to Straight Razors!

Hey Everyone.

I am just beginning this hobby. Straight razors have interested me a very long time now, I just never made the jump from my M3Turbo.

My wife finally said I could invest in some things, so I have two blades on the way (1 eBay cheapo for stropping/honing practice and 1 Geneva), a strop, and of course a brush and soap. Hopefully soon, I can invest further into some hones/stones and other equipment for sharpening.

I've done a good amount of research on equipment, technique, etc. However, if someone could point me to a good resource that explains paste, what it does, and how to use it, I would greatly appreciate it. I tried searching the forum, but didn't find much help.

Any other advice is welcome, and I'm extremely excited to jump into this hobby!

~Chris

Welcome Chris,
You've took the leap to a fun, but pricey hobby. I'm not one to pass on any advice since tonight was first shave with a straight, but I will provide a link that talks about paste stroping.
http://straightrazorpalace.com/showthread.php?t=6759

welcome chris, you've got plenty of time to learn all about pastes or hones or razors and anything else you fancy

Welcome to SRP!!

My wife had once referred to my straight razor shaving as a "fad" and "hobby" I had to correct her and tell her that it was a not a hobby rather a life's necessity. I have to shave and I chose to shave with a straight razor rather than a gillette.

The hobby would be the RAD that I have............

Originally Posted by cwrighta70

Hey Everyone.

I am just beginning this hobby. Straight razors have interested me a very long time now, I just never made the jump from my M3Turbo.

My wife finally said I could invest in some things, so I have two blades on the way (1 eBay cheapo for stropping/honing practice and 1 Geneva), a strop, and of course a brush and soap. Hopefully soon, I can invest further into some hones/stones and other equipment for sharpening.

I've done a good amount of research on equipment, technique, etc. However, if someone could point me to a good resource that explains paste, what it does, and how to use it, I would greatly appreciate it. I tried searching the forum, but didn't find much help.

Any other advice is welcome, and I'm extremely excited to jump into this hobby!

~Chris

Welcome!

As for pastes - they are used to get that final touch of sharpness, especially in light of their relative low cost, compared to high-grit hones. For comparison, a 30K Shapton would set you back over $300, and who knows what you can pay for a Y/G Escher or a top Nakayama...

Some people have reported rounding of bevels, and also less durable edges with pastes vs. stones. Also, it seems that diamond may leave a sharp but somewhat harsher edge. Chromium gives a very smooth edge, from my experience.

Hope this helps

Cheers
Ivo

Welcome to SRP Chris!!

Thanks, guys. And thanks Aaron S. for the link...very helpful. I should be getting some things in the mail tomorrow. Once I get a chance to try them out, I'm sure I'll have a few more questions.